


Feral

by Tiger_Lilly13



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alien Sex, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Body Modification, Canon-Typical Violence, Cunnilingus, Doggy Style, Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Drugs, Sex, Sexual Tension, Smut, Vaginal Sex, Violence, a lot of sexual tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:40:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiger_Lilly13/pseuds/Tiger_Lilly13
Summary: Shepard and Garrus infiltrate the Cerberus facility on Sanctum, only to be captured and held hostage by a mad scientist who has a special gift for her Turian mate.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Comments: 115
Kudos: 217





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo!! I've had this idea in my WIPs for a long time and I wanted to finish it and share it all with you!
> 
> For those still waiting for Love and Honor, don't worry!! I'm still working on it!
> 
> Enjoy!

A shower of bullets fly past her head, nearly grazing her cheek as Shepard dives for the nearest cover. She slams her back against the metal crates, causing the contents to rattle as the brunette reloads her Mattock assault rifle, preparing a counterattack against the relentless onslaught of frag grenades and gunfire. She grits her teeth, kicking up onto her feet and leans out of cover enough to fire aimlessly in the direction of the barrage, unaware if her shots hit their intended targets. She quickly returns behind the containers, a slew of strategic ideas running through her mind as she attempts to form an escape plan.

This mission was supposed to be a simple smash and grab. The secret Cerberus facility on Sanctum contained crucial Reaper technology and Hackett had sent her down to infiltrate and seize the supposed artifacts. Further inspection and internal scans of the laboratories showed only a skeleton crew of security forces remained. Nothing she couldn’t handle, only asking Garrus to accompany her on this one. He was eager to get out of the main battery and back into some action. Taking out a Cerberus base was just the thing he needed to distract him from the devastating casualty reports from Palaven.

As they had cleared the labs of opposing forces, additional analysis had uncovered that Reaper tech wasn’t the only thing housed in this facility. Vital medi-gel enhancements for Hanar had also been discovered, but Cerberus scientists had called the experiments, and end results, a failure. Typical Cerberus. If it didn’t benefit humanity, then it was worthless. Shepard wasted no time in gathering the data, saving it for when they were aboard the Normandy so that she can then forward it to Kahje High Command. Maybe they would appreciate the help and send some infiltrators or engineers her way.

When Shepard and Garrus had collected the last of the Reaper relics, Cerberus operatives had flooded the platform of the facility, cruisers steadily releasing more and more troops right on top of them. There was no way they could reach the drop off point at this rate, there were too many of them. The pair were cornered at the bottom of the labs, stuck behind crates and desks that barely gave them reprieve. Trapped in a corner like wild animals. _Fucking Cerberus._

“Shit!” A stray bullet catches her in the shoulder but does not pierce her armor. She lifts a finger to her earpiece, shouting above the chaotic blare of battle, “Cortez, we need that evac, right now!” Shepard flinches as a sniper round smashes into the wall in front of her, the concrete sporting a perfect circular hole. Her eyes dart to her left when she sees Garrus scurry over to her position, taking pot shots at the enemy and dodging oncoming fire. She grabs his collar once he is close enough and yanks him to the other side of her, pulling him out of harm’s way. He grunts at her forcefulness, but nods his head in appreciation, mandibles tight to his face.

Her comm crackles with interference as Cortez replies, “Negative Commander, it’s too hot! Multiple birds on my tail, I can’t shake ‘em!” Shepard can hear the Kodiak’s engines fly past the platform, a multitude of curses coming from her shuttle pilot, “Just hold on!” His voice distorts and fades out just as she hears an explosion on the far side of the labs, the deafening sounds of metal smashing and cascading down the giant shafts of empty space surrounding the platform.

“Cortez!?” She shouts, nothing but static answering her call. A pit forms in her stomach at the continued silence on the other line. She shakes her head, punching the wall next to her, “Damn it!” She doesn’t even consider the idea of him going down that easily, blocking out all possibilities. She takes a steadying breath. _I need to deal with the facts._

Garrus turns to her after firing another shot overhead, his brow plates low, “This isn’t looking good, Shepard.”

“I know!” She yells. Her eyes scan the ramp to their left, all the monitors littering the walls broken and smashed. Luckily, she finds an opening not filled with crazed Cerberus troops. She points towards the entrance to the upper part of the facility, “There! We can find cover and wait until Cortez can get to us!” _If he can get to us._

Garrus nods reluctantly, reloading his rifle with a growl, “Right behind you.”

The two soldiers wait for a break in the bombardment, listening intently for the familiar beeps and whirls of weapons overheating. Once a few seconds pass with no gunfire, they take the opportunity and jump up, dashing for the ramp and sprinting towards the open archway that leads to the landing platform where Cortez said to wait for him. They hide behind a reinforced glass wall, barely evading the second wave of bullets, the shuttle no where in sight.

As the onslaught of attack continues, Garrus turns to her, his subvocals flanging uncontrollably, “This isn’t any better, Shepard!”

“Not helping!” She snaps back, shooting a Cerberus trooper in the knee on the platform below, blood spurting out of the injured appendage, “Just stay low and keep firing!” The glass is barely holding, getting weaker with every shot it takes. _Come on Cortez_ , she pleads.

Cerberus troops flank around their position, taking cover inside the experimental labs. They are surrounded, soldiers on one side of them, and a massive hole on the other. Only a damaged barrier separates them from free falling down the layers of laboratories. Shepard cranes her neck down, staring at the bottomless pit. _Who the hell builds facilities like this!?_

A frag grenade is hurled through the thick sheet of smoke, landing right between them with a loud clank. Without thinking, Shepard grabs Garrus and throws him to the opposite wall, diving for the explosive to throw it back, but it is too late. It detonates, sending her flying back into the glass wall, shattering it, her head smashing through the serrated shards.

Her ears are ringing, a thick fog clouding her mind as the deafening noise around her lulls to a gentle hum. Her eyes are hazy as she tries to open them. Everything is spinning, her limbs not cooperating, but she manages to turn over onto her front and hold her head up enough to recognize Garrus on the floor as well. His eyes are closed, and he is not moving. _No, no no. This is not Omega again._

She attempts to crawl toward him, reaching out her hand to nearly grab onto his. The butt of a rifle makes contact with her temple and she goes down, landing on her side as her world turns black, but not before she hears her assailant speak into his communicator, “We’ve got her, sir.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

With a ragged groan and a few popping joints, Shepard comes to, her head throbbing, making it hard for her to think straight. Nausea overtakes her, the smell of antiseptics entering her nose, making it burn. She tries to crack her eyes open, the small movement enough to send her stomach rolling. All she can see is darkness. Lifting her head, she spots a small red light about ten feet above what she suspects is a giant door. She doubts she has left Sanctum, so she was probably taken deeper into the facility.

She does not see or hear Garrus anywhere. Dread mixes with the nausea. _I have to find him._

She attempts to get up, but her arms have been locked down to the armrests of the chair she is currently attached to. That is when she notices she is no longer wearing her armor, or her undersuit. She is just in her Alliance issued tank top and shorts. The thought of these people touching and undressing her is reprehensible and she grimaces at the images it forms in her mind. Her weapons have been taken as well and as she tries to activate her omni-tool implanted inside her forearm, nothing happens. _Shit_ , they must have deactivated it. Flashbacks from when she was abducted by Dr. Kenson invade her thoughts. She hopes to whatever god is listening that this is not going to be a repeat of that scenario. _I don’t have time for this!_

A loud buzz jolts her out of her musings and her head snaps up as the doors slowly open, the red light turning a bright green. Blinding light floods the room, the overhead fluorescent lights switching on one by one until the entire sterile white room is illuminated. With the room now lite, she cranes her neck this way and that, examining her temporary prison. A giant two-way mirror engulfs the entire right-side wall, a small metal table with various instruments sits to her left and the rest of the room is completely empty and void of any type of equipment or machines. She takes a soothing breath. _This isn’t looking good._

A short man with two Cerberus troops walks in, holding a datapad and looking quite pleased with himself. He is wearing a white lab coat with no armor underneath. She wants to scoff at his brazenness. He has a ratty face, features sharp and unpleasant to look at. His eyes are a deep, unsettling brown, nearly black, and his hair is slicked back with way too much hair gel, a few stray strands sticking out to cover his greasy forehead. He looks like the epitome of mad scientist.

He walks up to her a little too nonchalantly, not acknowledging her presence until he throws the datapad on the table next to her with a loud bang, an evil smile on his thin lips as he finally looks at her, “Ah, Commander Shepard, you are awake. Good.” _This fucking guy._ She doesn’t recognize him, but his arrogant tone suggests that she should.

“Who are you?” She demands, her chin held up high, “What do you want?”

He smirks, “Straight to the point then. I like that.” She narrows her eyes at him as he puffs his chest out, “I am sure you do not remember me.” He puts a hand over his chest and bows, “My name is Doctor Sid, the Illusive Man’s Chief Bio Chemist.” He straightens, his dark eyes fixed on her, “A pleasure to meet you.”

Shepard lifts a thin eyebrow, “Am I supposed to be impressed by that?”

“If not impressed, then grateful.” He scorns. This ‘Doctor Sid’ begins pacing around the room, “You see, without me, Ms. Lawson would never have been able to merge your DNA with those cybernetics you take for granted. A little fact I’m sure she likes to omit.” He stops and turns to her, “She was always one to take all the credit when none was to be had.”

Shepard highly doubts that. He was probably no more than a glorified assistant, cleaning beakers and fetching coffee. The way he had responded to her bored appearance tells her all she needs to know about him. He is prideful, undeservingly so, and that will be his undoing. She continues looking tired and uninterested, “That’s all very fascinating, but that still doesn’t answer my question. What do you want?”

He narrows his eyes at her, “It isn’t about what I want, Commander, but what my superior wants.” His creepy smile returns, “You see, when the Illusive Man found out that you were, dallying in another species, he was repulsed.” Her heart skips a beat as he takes a few more steps towards her and she has to consciously stop herself from leaning back, “The Great Commander Shepard, Hero of the Citadel, defeater of the Collectors and symbol of humanities progress, was degrading herself by getting into bed with one of those, creatures.” He gives her a toothy grin, “So, he sent me to work.”

She swallows and her jaw tenses, “What the hell are you talking about?” She clenches her fists. How the _fuck_ did they find out about Garrus and her? They have been so careful in public, never letting others see their close relationship. When the Normandy was still flying Cerberus colors, her cabin _must_ have had more bugs hidden that she had missed. Thinking of the Illusive Man watching her and Garrus together…rage and disgust overcomes her curiosities. _How dare he!_

“Your relationship with the Turian is not unknown. The first human Spectre that was supposed to show the other species that we were a force to be reckoned with,” He spits out his last words with indignation, “Is now just some Turian’s whore.”

She does not flinch at the insult, compartmentalizing that for when she isn’t strapped to a damn chair, “The Turians have the strongest military in the galaxy. No matter my relationship with one, they are a species to respect.” She tilts her head, “Or did you forget the First Contact war? The occupation of Shanxi? They could have wiped us out if the other races hadn’t stepped in to stop them.”

He shakes his head while she speaks, “It seems he has his claws so deep inside your mind that you cannot see the truth of your ways.” He sighs dramatically, “I wish it didn’t have to come to this.” He pauses and pretends to be debating something inside his head, nodding after he reaches a decision, “We will be forced to show you. Bring him in.”

He signals the other men in the room with a wave of his hand, and they turn and exit through the double doors, leaving Shepard and this Doctor Sid alone. He doesn’t move, just stands there, smiling at her like and still as a statue. She does not want to admit it, but it is unnerving, and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat, though she does not break from his unwavering eye contact. If he wants a stare down, he is going to have to grow two kilometers high to even begin to intimidate her.

When the Cerberus troops return, they are dragging a gurney behind them. She finally ends the intense staring contest and looks at what they have brought in. She sucks in a breath when she sees that it is _Garrus_ , naked, handcuffed and struggling against the bonds, growling and yelling at his captors. His head is strapped down so that he can’t move an inch, his eyes darting all over the room. Shepard will never confess this to him, but he looks _scared._

Shepard strains against her cuffs and shouts to get his attention, “Garrus!”

His head snaps up, as much as it can, and his mandibles flutter as he yells back to her, “Shepard!”

She watches Doctor Sid circle around the gurney, getting _way_ to close to him for her liking. She tugs on her metal cuffs, “Get away from him!”

The doctor pushes a button on the gurney, the table lifting so that Garrus is in an upright position. He looks exactly how Jack did when they first found her on the prison ship, wrists and ankles encircled by his own reinforced metal shackles. The mad scientist gestures to various points on Garrus’s body, “You see Shepard?” He addresses her, “Talons, fangs, plates. These creatures are not to be trusted.” He turns back to Garrus, sneering, “They are nothing but _animals_.” To his credit, Garrus doesn’t respond, his icy blue eyes only focused on her.

Doctor Sid then reaches inside his lab coat and pulls out a vial and a syringe. “Do you know what this is, Shepard?” He waits for an answer, but she doesn’t give him one, her heart beating painfully against her ribs. He continues as if he hadn’t spoken to her at all, “I call it TX-54. A little creation I rendered myself. One dose of this,” He shakes the vial of dark blue liquid, “And your Turian will become the feral monster he truly is.” Her chest constricts at his words, the color draining from her face, “It’s all there.” He taps Garrus forehead, earning him a hiss from the Turian, “Right under the surface. This is just used to, unleash it.”

Shepard twists and tugs on her restraints, renewing her attempts to break free. White hot fury boils in her veins as she yells at him, “If you hurt him, I will fucking kill you!”

He tsks at her like a misbehaving child, “Now now Shepard. Language.” He whirls around, taking the vial and readying the shot with the needle, all while ignoring her demands to let him go. This _can’t_ be happening. She struggles, her nails digging into her palms as she tries with all her might to just _get up_ , but she can’t. All she can do is watch helplessly as this crazy scientist experiments on her mate. She would usually be level headed in dire situations like this, but she can’t remain calm when Garrus is in danger and she can’t do a damn thing about it.

Shepard turns her gaze to Garrus, who is watching the Doctor keenly. He wrestles against his own restraints, his razor-sharp teeth bared, and mandibles flared. One of the Cerberus guards lands a punch on Garrus’s unprotected waist and he buckles with a pained gasp, his eyes squeezing shut.

“No!” She screams, “Get away from him!” All too quickly, Garrus yelps, a sound she has never heard from him before, as Doctor Sid jams the needle into his neck and presses down on the plunger, the strange blue substance disappearing inside Garrus’s body. Tears flood her eyes as she watches in gut wrenching _horror_ as his movements slow to a sluggish twitch in his mandibles until he finally goes limp.

The scientist steps back, instructing the others to do so as well. Her heart leaps into her throat and she feels as if she is going to be sick. Garrus hangs his head, unmoving and motionless. She can’t even tell if he is breathing. She blinks away the tears with a stuttering breath. _Come on, move, damn it!_

After a few moments of stillness, the doctor signals to his men, “Remove his restraints.” The guards take off the cuffs and to Shepard’s absolute shock, Garrus does not fight them, doesn’t even acknowledge his surroundings or the fact that he is now free of his shackles. He falls to his knees and hunches in on himself with a groan of pain, his limbs trembling. Shepard breathes a small sigh of relief. _At least he is still alive._

Doctor Sid returns to her side without saying a word, picking up the datapad he threw so carelessly and turns to leave. She watches him as the giant doors open at his command, but not before he whips his head back to her with a sinister smile, “Either he will kill you, or you will kill him. I look forward to the results.” He gives her a mocking nod and the doors close behind him, the lock turning back to its sinister red.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's gunna happen next?? Let's find out!!

As soon as the doors slide closed and the lock engages, Shepard renews her struggles against her restraints with intense vigor, grunting and yanking as hard as she can, the metal biting into her skin. Her green eyes stay fixed on her mate that is still hunched in on himself on the floor, his shoulders lifting and falling at a rapid, unsettling rate, his head jittering from side to side. She grits her teeth with the strain, letting out a curse of indignation when she is unable to break the shackles holding her in place.

“Garrus!” She calls, trying to get him to at least _look_ at her, but he does not respond. _Fuck_ , if only she were a biotic, this would be so much easier.

She doesn’t hear the light _ssshink_ coming from the chair, and with one last pull, she tumbles to the ground unexpectedly. She grabs her head with a confused groan, looking back at the cuffs on the armrests and chair legs. They were not broken by her. They were released remotely. She pans her gaze to the glass wall. She scowls at the mirror, knowing that Doctor Sid is on the other side, watching them. This is just a sick game to him, but she has no time to worry about that right now.

Ignoring the prying eyes and finally able to move freely, she hops up to her bare feet and dashes to the other side of the room. She slides onto her knees in front of her Turian mate, seeing that he is clearly in immense pain. His limbs are still trembling, his breathing is uneven and labored. He keeps flexing his claws rhythmically, as if he can’t help the movements and a signal inside his brain is short circuiting. She wants to grab him and shake him out of his stupor, but she relents. _Stay calm, he needs you to stay calm._

She reaches for him, taking his cheeks into her hands, his mandibles fluttering in her palms at her touch, “Garrus?” He whimpers at the sound of his name and she must bite her lip to keep from grimacing at the pitiful sound, rubbing her thumbs over his blue colony markings. She gets him to lift his head, but his eyes are clenched shut, his brow plates narrowed.

“Hey.” She tries again, a little more forceful, “Look at me.”

He opens his eyes slowly, and she inhales sharply at what she finds. His pupils are not reacting to outside stimuli, the veins in his sclera bulging and filled with pulsing blood. His eyelids twitch against the harsh, fluorescent light still bathing the room in a bright white. Shepard chokes on her breath, her heart clenching in her chest. She has never seen him like this, not even when she thought he was going to die on Omega, with him staring up at her with wide, empty eyes that were void of life. _This is not Omega, damn it!_

He attempts to respond to her, “Shepard…” Her name is hidden under his flanging keen, a noise so profound she can barely understand him as he chokes on his distorted vocal cords.

She pulls him closer, leaning her forehead against his, “It’s okay. I’m here.” She swallows the persistent lump in her throat, “We’ll get through this. Just stay with me baby, okay?”

He lets out a few stuttering breaths, coughing and hacking like there is fluid filling his lungs, “I can feel…my plates…they _burn._ ”

With the commander mask falling away, Shepard cries out, unable to contain her emotions that have reached their boiling point. Seeing him like this...she cannot bring herself to hide how much she cares for him. She is a trained solider, a damn N7, but when it comes to her mate, all bets are off, “I know.” She reassures him, “We’ll figure this out.” She grasps for words, her mind swimming with the empty platitudes she _knows_ he does not want to hear, but she doesn’t know what else to do, and she _hates_ being left in the dark, “You just…you have to fight it!”

He squeezes his eyes shut again, tearing his head away from her hands to curl his fists against the top of his fringe, “I can feel it _clawing_ inside me!” He growls low in his throat, his subvocals reverberating off the walls of the tiny room as he shouts, “I can’t control it!”

“You must!” She shrieks, trying to grab onto him again, to anchor herself to him, “You have to -”

“NO!” He bellows, pushing her hands away violently, falling back onto his haunches and grabbing at his cowl as if it is suffocating him, “Get back!”

Shepard vigorously shakes her head, her eyes watering as she crawls to him with her hand out, “No, wait! Garrus, please!”

He starts to scratch at his plates violently, his head whipping back and forth, his fangs bared and mandibles spread wider than she has ever seen them. She snatches her hand away and leans back on her heels, her hands coming up to cover her open mouth, her eyes wide and filled with tears. Her chest constricts with every agonizing sound he makes, every excruciating moan and whine that tumbles out of his mouth. _This can’t be happening._

His high-pitched keen increases in volume, the dense muscles under his silver plates beginning to _grow_ , causing his carapace to stretch to its limit. She can hear the snap and pop of his bones breaking, each sickening crack another blade stabbed into her heart. The talons on his feet and hands elongate, reminding her of when Saren was overtaken by Sovereign, the rouge spectre’s conversion being the fuel of nightmares. The texture of his hide morphs and changes, becoming denser with interwoven grooves lining his now bulging muscles, blue blood seeping from some of the tears in his skin.

Garrus gets to his feet, throwing his head back as he lets out a guttural roar to the ceiling, the deafening sound rattling her brain and making her clench her eyes shut against it.

Suddenly, he stops moving entirely, the stillness deafening to her ears. She opens her eyes and watches him tilt his head back down toward her, revealing to her the magnitude of which the mysterious drug has transformed him. She gazes up at him, _horrified_ at what he has become, “ _Shep…ard…_ ” He croaks out.

His pupils expand to engulf his beautiful icy blue eyes, only a sliver of the color remaining. A shimmering halo surrounding the darkness that has now consumed him.

She is frozen, unable to move or speak. She continues to stare up at him as he looks at her, but she can tell he isn’t really looking _at_ her. More like looking _through_ her, his eyes wide and unfocused. His back is hunched, his arms hanging heavily down by his sides with his long claws extended and twitching, but she can tell he has grown to be at least six inches taller, if not more. His now empty orbs scan the room around them, little growls and chirps leaving his throat in curiosity. Does he even know where he is anymore? Or _who_ he is?

The words of Doctor Sid echo in her mind.

_Nothing but animals._

She shakes her head of those vile words. They are not true, and she will prove it. She knows Garrus would never hurt her. She folds her feet underneath her and stands slowly, trying not to startle him. Once she is upright, she takes a hesitant step toward him, tilting her head slightly and whispering to him, “…Garrus?”

He snaps his head up, making her jump back, his gaze now focused on her. She holds her breath as his eyes move up and down her frame, examining every inch of her. Her lips forma thin line as she reaches a hand out to him, palm up, a mixture of fear and hope coiling in her belly. He remains still, watching as her hand moves closer towards him. She is just about to touch him when his eyes turn into slits and a low growl rumbles in his throat.

_Oh no…_

Garrus lets out the most blood curdling snarl she has ever heard, baring his fangs with a threatening howl. He bends his legs and _leaps_ at her, with more power than she ever thought possible. Shepard barely has time to dodge out of the way, sidestepping his attack, nearly hitting her head on the wall next to them. She turns to face the angry Turian, “Garrus!” She yells.

He doesn’t answer her, whirling on the balls of his digitigrade feet and lunging for her again, talons and mandibles spread wide. She dashes out of the way, grabbing a scalpel from the table next to her restraint chair. He hurtles into it in his attempt to tackle her, toppling the table and tray along with all the other instruments with a loud _crash_ , the chair legs snapping in half from the momentum of his body. He fumbles to his feet, shaking his head and turning his wild, furious eyes onto her. Shepard backs herself into a corner, scalpel in hand and at the ready.

She tries again, desperately, to get through to him, “Garrus, it’s me!” He growls at her words, lowering further to the ground and preparing to come after her once again.

He sprints toward her and she runs along the wall, grabbing the tray from the table that is now on the ground and uses it as a shield when Garrus swipes at her. His talons cut _through_ the damn metal, slashing her arm across her bicep, leaving two deep gashes. She cries out at the strike, and throws the damaged tray in his direction, hitting him in the head and causing him to flinch. He ceases his movements, rubbing at his face where it connected with irate squawks.

Shepard stands in the opposite corner, her back to the window. She looks down at her injured arm with gritted teeth, the wound now seeping blood. It doesn’t hurt, the adrenaline masking the pain. Her eyes flick back up to him, watching as his head whips back and forth like a confused predator trying to find its prey. She is _trying_ to avoid hurting him, but she is running out of options.

_Please, don’t make me choose…_

He springs on her once more, but this time, Shepard is too slow to get out of his way. He grabs her by the neck, claws digging into her throat as he heaves her up against the mirror, her head being slammed into the glass. In this position, she has an easy opening to jam the blade into his unprotected waist…

…but she _can’t._

“P-please.” She chokes, struggling in his grip, kicking her legs as she grabs onto his massive paw that keeps her suspended. She has never begged anyone in her life, never would let herself become so vulnerable, but for Garrus, she would do anything.

Garrus, or what was once Garrus, bares his fangs, rearing back with his other arm, his fingers long and talons ready to spill her guts onto the floor. Shepard clenches her eyes shut, tears spilling down her cheeks as she drops the blade, unable to bring herself to hurt the man she loves. She waits for the inevitable blow, images of her mate, smiling and laughing with her on top of the presidium flashing through her mind. _I love you._

One second goes by.

Two seconds.

Three.

Nothing happens.

When the devastating hit doesn’t occur, she opens her eyes hesitantly, still straining to breath in his grip. He is still growling at her, brow plates narrowed in fury, but his nose is twitching, the plates moving up and down. He keeps her against the mirror for a few more moments, then to her surprise, he slowly drops her to the ground. She grabs onto her neck, coughing against the force that he had used to hold her up. She stares up at him as he gently bends down and sniffs at her hair. She remains wide eyed and motionless, letting him do whatever it is he is doing, hoping that he will not just open his mouth and tear her throat out.

He rears back and Shepard fears that he will start attacking her again, but he doesn’t. Instead he wraps his arms around her body and smashes her to him, burying his nose in her throat and taking a deep, fulfilling breath. A rumbling purr vibrates from his chest when he breathes out and he nuzzles her shoulder with a light chirp.

Shepard breathes a sigh of giant relief, the tension leaving her body in a rush that overwhelms her. Her arms come up to encircle his waist, and his purr increases in volume at the returning affection. She is absolutely dumbfounded. She frantically searches her brain for what could be the cause of his sudden attitude change towards her, when it finally clicks.

He recognizes her smell. That _has_ to be it. They had made love the night before this mission and his marking scent is still clinging to her skin. Apparently, that stuff is strong enough to be able to withstand a shower and Alliance issued soap. Which means that other Turians and any species with a strong enough nose will be able to smell him on her. No wonder she was getting knowing looks from Primarch Victus.

Garrus nips at her neck and she lets out a breathless laugh, leaning back to look at him. With his extra height, she really has to crane her neck up. His eyes are still unfocused and the icy blue coloring remains just a sliver, but they no longer hold the rage that once clouded them. They are softer, similar to when a beloved pet looks to their owner. That thought twists her stomach into unpleasant knots. _He is **not** an animal._

Disregarding that ill comparison, she holds his cheeks in her hands, his mandibles fluttering eagerly in her palms. She smiles and pulls him down for a small, reassuring kiss. More for herself than for him. He doesn’t reciprocate the gesture as he usually would, but his tongue slithers out to lick at her lips, trilling happily and rubbing his claws gently over her back.

She ends the small kiss and he leans his forehead against hers as he chirps and purrs. His hand comes up to her injured arm and he whines in apology, bending down to lick at the two deep gashes. She had completely ignored it, knowing that it was not his fault. Shepard pets his fringe with a smirk, “It’s okay.” She echoes her words from earlier, “I’m here.”

_“No!”_

A raspy voice on an intercom interrupts their intimate moment, causing Garrus to tense and grip onto her harder with a low growl that sounds like a rumbling lion. Shepard sighs with indignation. Of course, she nearly forgot that they were both being held hostage by a mad man. His angry tirade continues, “ _This was not supposed to happen! You should be dead!”_

Shepard lets out a malevolent chuckle, turning around to face the two-way mirror, “What’s wrong Sid?” She raises an eyebrow, “Things not going how you wanted them to?”

_“Kill them!_

The bright red lock switches to green and the doors slide open. Shepard whips around to face the approaching solders that she knows are headed their way. She bends to pick up the scalpel and rushes to the side of the doors, her back against the wall and listening for the barreling footsteps. It is pitch black beyond the doors, and she can’t see a damn a thing. She takes a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She has gotten out of predicaments like this before, she just has to reevaluate the situation, weigh the possibilities and move forward with the best option. Her eyes glaze over to where Garrus is still standing next to the window, unmoving and glaring at the open door. She huffs. _He is going to make things more difficult._

Shepard ducks as the sound of gunfire erupts, Cerberus troops just beyond the darkness firing aimlessly into the room. Bullets litter the far back wall with holes, the tiles snapping and breaking off. She hunches in on herself, wracking her brain for a way out of this. Without any armor or weapons, besides her little blade that is sure to do _nothing_ , there is no plausible way to exit the room without being torn apart.

She examines her surroundings once again and looks up to the window. She doesn’t know what is on the other side, but she has to break the glass. It is the only way out. She bolts up and dashes for the broken chair, the only thing sturdy enough to withstand smashing through the glass. She is just about to grab it and start beating the mirror with all her might, when Garrus snatches her, picking her up and rushing to a corner of the room out of harm’s way, dodging the unrelenting barrage of bullets.

He plops her down unceremoniously and the little brunette glares up at him, “Garrus, what the hell are you doing!?” He snarls at her and pushes her to land on her rear, snorting an annoyed growl like she is a disobedient child. She is just about to give him a piece of her mind when he whirls around and sprints head first through the doors.

She doesn’t have any time to try and grab onto him and _stop him_ before he is out of her reach and she watches powerlessly as he disappears into the blackness. She gets to her feet and screams for him, “Garrus!” Trying to get him to turn around. _He’s running right into them!_

She peaks her head out into the line of fire, the sparks of the guns lighting up the scene before her. Garrus is attacking them one by one, easily tearing through the numerous Cerberus soldiers, ripping throats out and breaking off limbs. She listens to the monstrous snarls and growls beyond the darkness, sounding more like there are numerous tigers that had been let loose on poor, unsuspecting people. Horrid shrieks of men and women screaming and the unmistakable sounds of bones crunching and flesh shredding hits her ears, the gun fire slowly coming to a halt until all that is left is the sound of her rapid heartbeat in her ears. A pin could drop, and it would echo.

Shepard is just about to rush out into the blackness when Garrus appears in the doorway, covered from head to toe in dark red blood. His plates have barely any scratches on them, a few lesions on his hide that ooze his blue blood. His talons and fangs are stained crimson, the red liquid dripping generously onto the white floors. His chest expands rapidly with every snarling breath he takes, the shadows surrounding him tinting his eyes as if she is staring into the void. He looks absolutely vicious. _Feral._

She swallows nervously as he advances on her and Shepard takes a hesitant step back, worried that the bloodbath has caused his rage to rekindle against her. He towers over her as her back hits the wall, her breath caught in her throat. She has never seen him, or any Turian for that matter, as ferocious and primal as he is right now. Is this what they were like before developed cognition? No wonder their culture requires all citizens to join the military. The amount of control they must have is truly remarkable.

A blush rises to her cheeks as she looks him up and down, her face heating up at his display. All confidence and carnage. He took out an entire Cerberus squad, by himself, with no armor or weapons besides his natural ones. She is ashamed to admit it, but he looks…hot. She feels herself becoming nervous for an entirely different reason now.

Garrus begins to purr and crowd her, nipping at the top of her head and taking her waist into his hands, being surprisingly gentle. He pulls her close and Shepard falls into his embrace willingly, uncaring of the blood that stains her white tank top. She is just so relieved that he is relatively unharmed. As she draws in his warmth, she glances down and her mouth instantly runs dry.

The protective plates covering his groin have completely shifted open, and she can see the beginning of an erection peeking out of his sheath. It must be the adrenaline still coursing through his body or can he smell her arousal? Who is she kidding? Of course he can.

Shepard pulls back to look up into his eyes, his talons digging into her flesh to attempt to keep her as close as possible. His dark orbs pierce through to her very soul, and the breath is stolen from her lungs at the intensity. He blinks once and trills what sounds like a question to her, and gently licks at her cheek with his long blue tongue. She knows exactly what he is asking.

She cannot _believe_ she is even considering this. They are nowhere near safe, but she does not care. She doesn’t even know if they are alone or if Sid is still watching them from beyond the glass wall. Call her an exhibitionist, but the thought of a bloodied, primal Garrus taking her right now creates a spark in her belly that travels down to her core.

She lowers her eyelids and lifts her hands to the back of his neck under his fringe. She scratches at the soft spot behind his head that instantly makes him melt. Garrus purrs and closes his eyes, leaning into her touch, pulling her harder against him.

He snaps his eyes open and grips onto her, slamming her back against the wall. The air gets knocked out of her and the animalistic desire shining in his icy blue orbs makes her gasp. She just might regret provoking him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand another cliffhanger! Some saucy times coming up next! And more action! And will Garrus ever be able to go back to normal? Stayed tuned!
> 
> This may end up being 4 chapters, I have more I wish to add :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...it's been a while. I'm sorry! But I have finally finished chapter 3! Enjoy!!

She takes a stuttering inhale as she looks over his face, his pupils blown and mandibles twitching sporadically. It must be the adrenaline that has him so worked up, the blackness that engulfs his irises alighting with a different sort of fire, one that kindles a similar flame inside her core. A low rumbling growl escapes his chest with every heavy breath, fanning over her heated and sweaty face. Her dark green eyes never leave his, challenging him to make the first move.

Garrus snarls softly and buries his snout against her neck, nipping and licking at her pulse point. Shepard tilts her head back and sighs at his attentions, having to rise onto her toes to encircle his neck and hold him close. He bites at her skin again as she pulls him flush against her, his purr a constant rumble vibrating them both. Her nails scratch down his sensitive hide again, and she swears she can feel his legs shake.

What the hell are they doing? This is absolutely insane! At any moment, that crazy doctor or more Cerberus troops could flood this tiny room and take them out, but she cannot bring herself to _care_. She nearly lost him _again_ , the lingering fear from that day on Omega still a haunting memory whenever she sees the scars upon his face. Even now, as she looks into the wild eyes of her mate, Shepard knows that Garrus is still in there…somewhere.

She is almost positive that Garrus had torn apart what was left of the skeleton crew of this facility, and Sid still must be slithering around here. The more pressing issue at hand is that Garrus is in quite a…unique state. She is sure no one would want to see a feral, naked Turian with a raging boner charging at them. Well, besides Shepard of course. So, she needs to deal with this problem now before she can focus on getting them the hell out of here. If letting him blow off a little steam will help calm him down enough for him to listen to her, then she must act fast. She can _feel_ him becoming more frustrated the longer he stays like this.

Shepard turns her lips over to his neck, laying kisses and nips of her own along his soften scales, coming up to where his ear is hidden. She digs her nails into his hide, and growls a command, “ _Fuck me, Garrus_.” She knows he is probably going to anyway, but the faster they do this, the quicker they can escape.

He growls at her words, his hands traveling up her sides and roughly gripping her waist. She inhales sharply as he flips her around, her hands bracing herself against he wall. She arches her back and rubs her still clothed ass into his naked groin, his purr faltering. Shepard is pleasantly surprised when he suddenly drops to his knees and forces his nose right up against her crotch. A blush creeps onto her cheeks as he nuzzles her covered pussy, her hands scrambling on the wall for support as she lays her cheeks against the cool surface of metal.

Garrus yanks down her shorts so that they pool around her ankles, thankfully leaving them mostly intact and shoves his tongue up inside her roughly. Shepard yelps at the sudden intrusion, grinding her hips back against his face. His long, pointed muscle reaches depths inside her no human tongue ever could, and she mewls when he rubs right up against her sweet spot, her eyes glazing over. _Well, he certainly is not wasting any time._

Pulling out of her center, he lathers her labia, slithering and flicking at her clit that is pulsing and eager for attention. Before she can tilt her hips even further to force his tongue against her pearl, Garrus huffs a snort and stands abruptly. He grabs her hips and pushes his pelvis right up against her, the tip of his erection that has yet to emerge from its sheath barely slotting inside of her.

He plans to enter her right as he slides out. They have only tried this a handful of times due to him being so sensitive immediately after he comes out. He could barely handle it then and a nervous feeling washes over her at what his reaction will be this time. With his instincts now on over drive, his impulse control is nearly nonexistent. Shepard shivers in anticipation and braces herself.

Garrus slowly slips out of his protective sheath directly into her cunt, his lubricant making his entrance much smoother. Inch by inch, his cock stretches her clutching walls, reaching deeper and deeper until he is finally buried inside her. She grits her teeth and lets out a high-pitched moan at being impaled. Even his cock has grown in size, and he was already well endowed to begin with! They have not done there usually foreplay, and she is momentarily thankful for her husband’s ability to lubricate himself.

She can feel his mandibles spread wide against her neck, his snout nestled in her hair. A loud grunt escapes his mouth and he shoves her further up the wall so that she has to balance on her toes. He doesn’t wait for her to adjust like he usually would if he were in his right mind, and instead digs his claws into her flesh and starts a brutal pace, sliding all the way out and sinking back in with a slick, wet noise that turns her ears red.

Shepard is a mewling mess against the assault of his hips, her brows furrowed as he thrusts inside her cunt. Moaning his name, she lets him use her body as he needs, pounding all primal frustration into her. It feels incredible, his cock massaging every secret spot inside her pussy with abandon. Admittedly, she does miss his voice. His dirty talk always made her melt into a puddle, but the absolute animalistic way he is taking her renders her speechless.

She groans in a mixture of pleasure and pain at a particularly savage thrust between her legs, somehow sinking even _deeper_ and barely hitting the end of her cunt. Her breath becomes stuck and she can’t suck in enough air as the rough plates of his thighs scrape against her soft flesh. His tip pummels the fleshy spot inside her that makes her knees weak, the building of an orgasm tightening in her abdomen. The coil winds tighter and tighter, that familiar swooping inside her stomach becoming stronger and her limbs tense up for that sweet release just out of her reach.

Before she can hurtle over that edge, Garrus growls and swirls them around, never letting himself leave her body. He pushes her down forcibly on her hands and knees and she catches herself on her forearms, her ass sticking up like a goddamn bitch in heat. She cannot help but want to kick him for manhandling her into this position without asking, but he immediately starts to resume thrusting harder and the complaint dies with a throaty moan falling from her lips.

Shepard quickly reaches a hand down and rubs at her swollen clit, using three fingers to furiously swipe across the bud in rhythm with his hips, quickly soaring her to the height she was about to jump off. A few more deep thrusts from her feral husband and she throws her head back with a soundless scream. She cums on his still moving cock, her walls pulsing massaging his member as extasy shoots throughout her body, her arms barely able to hold her up.

Garrus grunts out a vicious snarl, his hips snapping against her ass faster and faster until finally, with one last thrust, he buries himself inside her to the hilt with a triumphant roar. She hums in content as she feels his warm cum filling her, the ball of flesh at the base of his dick starting to swell and lock him inside her. He slumps over on top of her, catching himself on quivering arms. She can feel his cock still pulsing, his hips pumping inside her lazily to ensure every last drop is emptied within her. Shepard winces at the burning stretch, trying her best to keep her ass up in the air and not rip away from him.

Catching her breath and letting her mind clear from the fog of post orgasmic bliss, Shepard hangs her head with a huff when she realizes her mistake. Usually, they stay connected like this for at least twenty minutes, but they don’t have time to wait for him to soften so that he can slip out of her. While Garrus purrs and trills happily on her back, completely oblivious to their predicament and licking her neck, Shepard contemplates on what her next move will be.

They need to separate, there’s no question about it, but he won’t let her go willingly. She has never attempted to dislodge him before. He always told her it would be unpleasant if she tried and there was never any reason to. But what other option is there? With Shepard being the only one with her head on straight, she needs to take control of this situation. With no other choice available, she reaches a decision. She curses. _Fuck. This is really gunna hurt._

The small brunette takes a deep breath and starts to pull away from her spent lover, his knot tugging on her walls a bit painfully. He growls, his talons grabbing onto her hips to keep her flush against him. She swirls her head around and glares at him, baring her teeth in an attempt to appeal to his primal nature that his female is not happy with him, “Garrus, we don’t have time for this.” He flashes his fangs at her in warning, and at any other time it would give her pause to witness a Turian, especially her mate, display such a threat, but she is the commander here and she will not be defeated.

With one last hard pull from him, his knot pops free. Garrus snarls unhappily as Shepard yelps at the intense pain at her entrance being stretched past its limit, but she quickly recovers with a shake of her head and a groan. She looks down and doesn’t see any blood on the inside of her thighs, so she assumes nothing has torn. She gets to her feet, her legs shaking a bit. She feels a bit of his fluid seep out of her but there's not much she can do about that right now. Pulling up her shorts, she adjusts her tank top that had scrunched up to her waist, the white fabric now stained red with the blood still clinging to his body.

She turns to look at Garrus, who is standing a little too up right and staring at her intently, his shoulders tense. His dripping cock is slowly retracting back into its sheath, but the still hard knot at the base is making it difficult, and probably a bit painful. Feeling guilty, Shepard reaches up and lays a hand on his mandible, giving him a small apologetic smile, “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He chirps at her words, nuzzling into her palm. She is still unable to really tell if he can understand her, but the renewed softness in his eyes is enough for her.

Now that his needs have been taken care of and he is no longer sidetracked by his uncontrollable lust, Shepard takes his hand and guides him to the entrance of the interrogation room. Her gamble was definitely worth it, as Garrus is now more docile and just happily purring next to her, letting her take the lead for now. She hopes that he stays this way, they cannot afford to be distracted again. Though with his newly acquired strength and his already stubborn nature, she isn’t sure if she would be able to stop him. Best to just cross that bridge if or when they come to it.

She cautiously peaks her head out of the door, letting her eyes finally adjust to the blinking darkness. They widen when she sees the massacre before her. Body parts and blood litter the darkened hallway, crimson red painted all over the walls and floor leading in every direction as emergency lights flicker overhead, lighting up the carnage in an eerie white and red glow. _Holy shit. He really tore them apart._

Slowly turning her head to him, he absently blinks at her with a twitch of his mandibles, unaware that there is anything significant about what she has discovered. The blood still covering his plates has dried, the liquid now crusted on his plates. She pulls him closer to her, “We are going to have a serious talk when we get out of here.” _When you get better_ , she adds inside her head. He rumbles at her and tilts his head, almost as if he is trying to act innocent.

Shepard shakes her head and returns to the task at hand. She steps out into the hallway, careful of the dismembered corpses of the Cerberus shock troopers, though she is unable to step in between the blood, her bare feet now covered in the warm, sticky mess. There are some men that are still intact, but the giant holes where their throats should be makes her grimace. She spots a Mattock that is still in working condition and picks it up. It’s not as modded as her own Mattock, but she doesn’t feel as naked with the weapon in her hands.

Traveling down the hall with Garrus close to her side, she finds a door that is most likely linked to the room on the other side of the glass. It opens upon sensing her presence. She slowly steps in, noticing all the monitors and terminals still up and unlocked. “I guess they left in a hurry,” She mutters to herself.

She walks up to one of the terminals overlooking the opposite room, laying her newly acquired weapon on the table. Her hands fly over the keyboards trying to look for any information on where her equipment is and the location of the communications room. The keys beep beneath her fingertips, screen after screen flashing before her eyes as Garrus stands awkwardly next to her. He sniffs at her hair once again, tickling at her sides with his claws. She squirms away from his attentions, trying to focus on her search, but he continues to try and distract her. Shepard shoos him away gently and he huffs as he reluctantly gives her more space. She rolls her eyes at his pouting. _He is relentless._

Sifting through the normal garbage data, she comes across one important file. The code to unlock her omnitool. “Yes,” She whispers to herself proudly, imputing the code and only waiting a few seconds as the familiar orange glow of the holographic screen lights up on her left arm. She quickly reconfigures her software, using her hand to scan the rest of the computers for relevant information. She maybe an expert infiltrator but hacking into their database is going to be much faster with a working omnitool.

She finds the recordings of her interrogation, loading the files on her tool. She also discovers the video feed of her and Garrus’s little tryst. Right there on the screen, is her and Garrus going at it like horny rabbits. Shepard slightly panics as her cheeks turn bright red, and she quickly grabs that as well, deleting all copies of the video. She will have to save that for later, to show Garrus just how ridiculous he was acting. _When he gets better_ , she reminds herself again.

One terminal catches her eye when several camera monitors flash on the screens. She stops the cycling when it lands on an area called Lab Three. Her eyes zero in on the lone figure in a lab coat moving about the space erratically, grabbing and throwing datapads and having an all-out tantrum, yelling incoherently. Her heart pounds as she recognizes that ratty face.

Sid.

That is where he is. Lab Three. She watches him for a moment longer as he scurries around like a rabid animal. How fitting. Shepard quickly scans once more for the location of her equipment and finds that it is being stored on the same floor in a storage locker. She snorts. _Convenient._

She shuts down all the terminals, wiping all the data and video logs from the computers. She lifts from the desk, picks up the assault rifle and swirls on her heels, grabbing Garrus by the hand and leading him back into the hallway. She treads carefully once again, leaving bloodied footprints with every step, heading toward the elevator at the end of the corridor. There are multiple unlocked doors along the way, but she does not have time to explore them. Her only mission is finding Sid, finding the cure for Garrus, and getting the hell out of here.

Once reaching the elevator, she punches the call button, twisting around with her Mattock up and ready for any more surprises, but all she can see is the mangled bodies of the deceased Cerberus troops, this facility now becoming their tomb. The elevator arrives and both her and her feral Turian husband step in. She quickly smashes the level three button, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the wall, listening to the cables of the elevator grind and moan with its ascent.

Shepard opens one eye to watch Garrus, her mate surveying the cab as if he is seeing one for the first time. His head turns left and right, his eyes wide in astonishment at the movement. She finds it especially sad that he probably can’t even remember all those pointless and awkward conversations he had with Wrex and Tali in the elevators back on the Citadel. Those are some of her most fond memories of him and the crew in their early days. She pulls away from the wall and grabs his attention, “Hey,” She calls, her tone gentle, “How are you holdin’ up?”

He tilts his head down to her, a trill from his subvocals barely audible to her ears. She sighs, her eyes downcast. Of course, he can’t answer her. They need to find his cure, and fast. Shepard smiles sadly and nods at him, turning her focus to the doors once again.

As the elevator doors slide open, she cautiously lifts her Mattock, signaling for Garrus to stay behind her. This floor is not as wrecked as the one below, but the emergency lights are still blinking in rapid succession, the VI over the intercom alerting all personnel to evacuate immediately. She quickly finds the room where her equipment is stored, busting the lock with a few rapid fires of her rifle and throwing on her undersuit and armor, finding her weapons tucked neatly inside the locker. Luckily Garrus’s equipment is here as well, but she will have to send a team back down to get it once they’ve reached the Normandy. Garrus wouldn’t want his beloved Widow and heavy armor to be lost to his place.

Once she is fully dressed and wielding her heavily modded Black Window and Mattock, she exits the storage room and they continue down the winding hallways to find a set of double doors labeled Lab Three.

This is where Sid is hiding. _I’m coming for you, you son of a bitch._

Shepard unlocks the door with her omnitool, revealing an enormous, dimly lit laboratory. This place has to be at least the size of the Normandy, full of surgical tables, desks, and terminals. The ceiling is close to six meters tall, with metal walls and intricate pipes running across the duct systems. She steps into the room, checking for any remaining Cerberus forces. When she finds none, she turns her attention to a large pod, much bigger than the ones back on her ship that the crew sometimes sleep in. She carefully walks up to it and peaks inside. She inhales sharply at what she finds, taking a step back.

It’s a Turian. A barely recognizable Turian. It’s mandibles are bent at painful angles and its arms and legs look shattered and broken. The body is twice the size of a normal Turian, but the hide and plates clearly could not handle the extra muscle, having torn away in shreds. It’s face is contorted into excruciating pain. She recognizes the colony markings of the outer settlement of Aephis. It looks like Sid used whatever shit he used on Garrus on this one too. _Poor guy._

Shepard looks up and her eyes land on each pod. Rows and rows of dead Turians, all in experimentation chambers, all disfigured and mutated. The blinking emergency lights illuminate their bodies, twisted in horrible ways, elongated limbs and enlarged plates. Each one more grotesque then the last.

Shepard has seen her fair share of horrors in her time in war. Being the last survivor of her unit on Akuze and watching a colonist get melted into human sludge had hardened her resolve on most atrocities, but this…this makes her stomach turn.

Her eyes flick to Garrus, watching him stare into the pod at his mutilated brethren. His nose plates shift up and down as he lays on a giant hand on the glass. A small keen escapes his throat as he flashes his fangs, his eyes lifting to hers. She can see the confusion and pain in his still blown out pupils. She wonders what he is thinking, if he can even tell that the creature in the glass coffin is one of his own. Shepard sighs. They need to leave.

A loud bang on the other side of the room jolts her out of her thoughts and she whirls around to spot Sid scampering away to the other door. Garrus growls as she wastes no time, bolting after him. Her cybernetics push her past humanly limits as she catches up to him easily and raises her rifle, aiming for his leg. She lets off a shot and it penetrates his thigh. The fleeing doctor yelps and crashes into the ground, clutching his injured leg. Shepard sprints for him, Garrus close behind her.

Once to his position, she signals for Garrus to stay back and thankfully he listens to her. Shepard stands over the injured doctor with her gun pointed at his head. Sid grunts out a curse, trying to stop the blood seeping out of his leg, “You bitch!” He curses, “You shot me!”

Shepard shoulders her weapon, “I’ll do more than that you slimy bastard.” She leans down and picks him up by the coat, slamming him up against the wall. She pins him there with her forearm over his neck, restricting his air just enough to cause him to panic, his hands coming up to try and pry her off of him.

She snaps her fingers to get his attention and his eyes widen. She indicates with a sweeping motion to the pods, her tone low and threatening, “What the hell is all this? What did you do to these Turians?”

He spits at her, “Those _beasts_ got what they deserved.”

“They were colonists!” She shouts, “They were innocent people!”

“Innocent?” He sneers, twisting in her hold, “Like your Turian? I saw what he did. He tore those men apart like the savage animal that it is!”

“Because you shot him up with drugs!” She counters, “Do that to any other race and the same damn thing would happen.”

He squirms a bit more with a small laugh, “Do you wonder why the serum is called TX-54, Shepard?”

Shepard grits her teeth at the change in topic, restraining the desire to snap his neck, “I have a feeling you're going to tell me.”

Sid hacks a cough, “Your Turian was number 54. What you see here,” He nods in the direction of the pods, “Is the 53 before him.”

She turns to examine the pods. Fifty-three Turians. All tortured and murdered. She barely reigns in her boiling anger, narrowing her eyes and pushing her forearm into his throat so that he has to suck in breaths, struggling in his attempts to break free. Not wanting to hear anymore of this disgusting excuse for a man speak, she whirls her head back to him, “Where is the cure?”

Sid ceases his writhing, staring at her dead in the eye. He pauses for a brief moment before and starts to _laugh._

Shepard clenches her fist and punches him straight in the nose, his head cracking on the wall behind him. Blood explodes from his nose down onto her arm and onto the floor. Sid wails in pain, trying to clutch at the broken bones, but Shepard screams louder, “Where is the cure?!”

His ominous chuckle deepens, his teeth stained red as a sinister smile spreads across his lips, “Cure?” He asks, his voice raspy, “Why would I make a cure?”

Shepard’s heart sinks, her stomach rolling as overwhelming dread surpasses her blinding anger. No cure. How can there be no cure? He’s lying, he has to be! Her confusion causes the tense muscles in her face to diminish, her arm falling away from his neck as the force keeping him pinned against the wall loosens. He gains his footing as he coughs, “None of the subjects survived the injection.” He spits at her feet, “After a few hours, the fever had consumed them.” Sid leans forward so that his face is inches from her own, “He. Will. Die.”

Pure white hot rage engulfs her once again and she growls through clenched teeth, “Not before you.” She grabs him by the coat and throws him to Garrus’s feet, who is watching them from a few yards away. The Turian snarled down at the sniveling man that immediately backs away from her feral mate.

“No! Wait!” He continues to scoot away, his injured leg making it impossible for him to run, “I can help you! I have information on the Illusive Man. His work, his plans!”

In any other situation, she would find it in herself to show mercy, watching the cruel doctor beg for his life. Normally she would let him live on the conditions that he gives himself up to the Alliance and reveals all he knows about Cerberus, but not this time. A true paragon she may be, but this man does not deserve to live. He has tortured his last Turian. All she can feel is blinding rage. She answers his pleas, her tone cold and callous, “I don’t care.”

His back hits a desk and he flattens himself against it, putting as much distance between himself and the slowly approaching feral Turian, “Your mate. I-I can help him! I can find a cure!”

“I don’t believe you.” She snaps back, turning her attention to Garrus. His eyes flick to hers and she gives the command, “Rip his throat out.”

Garrus lets out a blood curdling roar and pounces on the screaming doctor, his teeth sinking into his shoulder. Sid shrieks in agony, using his fists to try and fight back as Garrus bites down and tears away at his neck. Blood pours out in all directions, the hysterical yells of the scientist suddenly going quiet until finally, the doctor is decapitated, his severed head rolling underneath the desk.

Shepard stares in both relief and fear at what she has just witnessed. Not only appalled at her own vengeful behavior, but seeing firsthand what a feral Turian is capable of is an unsettling sight. Watching her mate show such ferocity and viciousness…it’s heartbreaking.

Shaking her head, Shepard runs to the terminal that she saw Sid was last working on, copying all the data onto her omnitool, and erasing all the local copies as well. All the information concerning the experiments, the serum, and hopefully anything else useful downloads directly to her omnitool and she uploads it to the Normady’s computers. If it were not for the Reaper War, she would advocate that this facility be searched thoroughly, but she does not have the time or the resources for it. This will have to do for now.

She opens a comm to the Normandy, the other line crackling before the familiar voice of her pilot answers her hail, “Uh, hello?”

“Joker?”

“Commander!” Shepard breathes a sigh of relief at the sound of her jovial flight lieutenant, “We were just about to send out a search party for you! What the hell happened?”

Shepard bypasses the question with urgency, “We need a pickup. Now.” She pauses. Garrus is not in the right state of mind to be around other people. He will attack anyone that gets near them. She quickly adds, “Get everyone out of the cargo bay and tell Mordin to meet me there. I have uploaded the situation to the Normandy. It’s Garrus. He,” She hesitates, trying to reign in her composure as a lump forms in her throat, “He’s not good.”

There is a brief pause before Joker answers, his voice turning serious, “Aye aye, Commander.”

Shepard takes a calming breath and looks over to her mate, his teeth stained with the blood of his torturer as he tilts his head from side to side, studying her and letting out little chirps. She tries to smile, but inside she is screaming. Losing Garrus…it would shatter her completely. As selfish as it sounds, she would have no personal reason to carry on. He has been with her since the beginning, has cared for her and supported her even after she had died and come back. His encouragement has kept her going after every failure and his love has carried her through the deaths of their friends. He is just as vital to winning this war as she is, for he is the one she leans on when she is about to fall.

She does not care what she has to do. She will raze every Cerberus facility, interrogate and torture anyone even remotely associated with the pro human group, even confront The Illusive Man himself and demand a cure. She will stop at nothing to save the man she loves. She just desperately hopes that she is not too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. That was an emotional rollercoaster. Garrus isn't the only one who isn't in the right state of mind, but who can blame her? 
> 
> Chapter 4 will be the last one! I promise not to make you guys wait so long for it! Thank you so much to the people who have stuck by me this long!! Writers block is real and it is a pain in the ass!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The epic conclusion of this adventure! Will Garrus get the help he needs? Will Shepard be able to cope with the consequences? Find out now!
> 
> Just for continuity sakes, in my universe, Mordin did NOT die on Tuchunka.

“Garrus,” Shepard calls to him from her seated position on the bench, “Come on, sit down.”

The hulking turian ignores her, continuing to paw at the door that is the only thing standing between him and her nervous shuttle pilot. He has been attempting to tear it open since he boarded the Kodiak, likely able to smell the human male on the other side. She has been trying to calm him down and coax him away from the metal door, but to no avail. As she listens to the constant growls and snarls of her feral mate’s inability to break through the barrier, Shepard must face the harsh reality that he is quickly slipping away from her.

They were able to make it back to the landing pad of the Cerberus facility where they were originally supposed to get picked up before being kidnapped. The bodies of the troopers and centurions from the previous battle still lay where they died, the crew of the labs never having come up to remove them. Shows just how human centric they really are, leaving their own to rot like that. The dark, pooled blood on the surface had coagulated long ago, the burning stench of decomposing flesh still lingering in her nose.

When they had entered the shuttle, Garrus had immediately sniffed out Cortez on the other side of the door, Shepard having warned Steve to close and lock it before they had arrived. Now, her mate is determined to reach him, and more than likely treat him to the same fate as all the other human males they have come across, and she was _not_ about to let that happen.

Garrus has been steadily becoming more confused and agitated. Even her presence is not enough to soothe the massive, angry turian anymore. He has been stumbling, aggressive even towards her, and his sub-vocals have been keening loud enough for her human ears to hear. Every so often, his limbs would tense up and he would yelp in what sounds like excruciating pain, the heartbreaking shriek nearly shattering her resolve. She is forced to watch as her husband’s condition worsens, the haunting words of Sid repeating like a disturbing mantra inside her head.

_He. Will. Die._

She rids herself of those unhelpful thoughts and sighs in exasperation at being snubbed. Shepard rises from her seat, “Garrus, stop.” She scolds, taking a step towards him, “It’s just Steve over there. He won’t hurt me.”

Garrus swings his head around abruptly and hisses at her. Loudly.

Shepard rears her head back in shock, “Did you just _hiss_ at me?”

He squints his beady eyes that are still mostly black with a huff and returns to scratching at the door, his talons scraping at the metal, leaving light gouges and stripping the paint. At the rate he is going, he will claw his way through that door eventually.

Shepard grumbles in frustration at her stubborn husband, unwilling to provoke him any further, “I give up.” Putting her hands on her hips, she turns her attention to her pilot as she returns to her seat, her hand coming up to her face to rub away the nagging headache, “Cortez, get Mordin on the comm.”

“Yes ma’am.” He is probably listening to the commotion back here, ready to bolt out of the shuttle if Garrus gets the door open.

A few moments pass before the familiar voice of the salarian doctor resounds in the shuttle, “Shepard, how can I help?

“Mordin, did you receive the data?”

“Yes.” Comes his swift reply, “Very disturbing. Extent of torture and experimentation truly remarkable. How is he?”

Shepard turns her head to Garrus, who is still completely oblivious to her conversation, “Well right now, he is trying to rip Cortez to shreds but thankfully there is a door between them.” Though, she wonders just how long that will last.

“Understood. Will be waiting for you in cargo hold. Be prepared. Have something to ease transition to med-bay.”

“Got it.” She answers slowly. _Be prepared? What the hell does that mean?_

Passing through the mass effect fields into the Normandy’s cargo bay, the movement jostles her feral mate, sending him crashing to his knees. His head hangs low as his breathing starts to accelerate, his wide shoulders lifting rapidly as he lets out a high-pitched whine, his back arched.

“Garrus!” Shepard jumps up and moves to him, grabbing him by the bicep. When her hand makes contact with his hide, she inhales sharply. “My God,” She breathes, touching every part of his unprotected skin, “You’re burning up.”

She quickly activates her omnitool, “Cortez, wait until we’ve gotten Garrus into the elevator and then take Vega and a few others back down to the facility. Garrus’s equipment is being held in a storage room on level three. I’ll send you the coordinates.”

Her comm crackles, “Aye aye ma’am.”

At his confirmation, Shepard switches over to a private channel, “Mordin, you in position?”

“Affirmative. Cargo bay evacuated. Ready.”

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly before adding, “We’re coming out.”

Shepard turns to Garrus, “All right, big guy,” She whispers as gently as she can, “We’re gunna get you some help.” Taking his arm once more, Shepard resists the urge to grimace at the heat radiating off him. His hide is usually warm to the touch to begin with, but she can feel the heat through her armored gloves, like laying her hand on one of EDI’s processors.

She does her best to hoist him up, though he does have about one hundred pounds on her. Her mate stands on wobbly legs and is extremely lethargic, his head bobbing up and down as his vocals chirp pitifully. She turns him to the side door and presses the release.

Upon opening the door, she quickly examines the barren room before slowly stepping down from the Kodiak, assisting Garrus with the descend. He is barely able to hold himself up and nearly falls, but she is able to keep him on his feet, the talons on his toes scrapping against the floor for balance.

With no warning, Mordin appears out from behind the equipment terminals and raises a gun in their direction. Shepard is only given a moment to react before he fires and a split second later, a dart sinks right in Garrus’s neck. The primal turian yelps, pushing away from her and clawing at the needle that has imbedded in the soft spot on his hide, the vial dropping to the ground with a soft _tink._

Garrus struggles, shaking his head back and forth and flailing his arms before collapsing to his knees, his breathing starting to even out. His eyes lazily roll around until finally closing. He isn’t asleep, but he is calmer now. _Damn it, how many more drugs is he going to get pumped into his system?_

Shepard raises her hands, her ire directed toward the salarian scientist, “What the hell was that!?”

Mordin casually rises and hurries toward them, holstering his Carnifex pistol, “Mild sedative. No need to worry.” He bends to one knee, scanning the sedated turian with his omni-tool, “Must get him up to med-bay before the effects wear off.”

“A little warning would have been nice,” She rebukes, side eyeing him as she lays her hands on Garrus’s shoulder, watching the salarian enter a few readings into his tool.

“Apologies. Situation urgent. Cannot delay.”

Shepard huffs at the doctor’s dismissal, grabbing Garrus’s arm and throwing it over her should, keeping him upright. “Damn,” She says with gritted teeth, “You got heavy.” With the sedative flowing through his veins, he is no longer able to growl at anything that moves, allowing Mordin to take his other arm and together, they lift him to his feet. The pair struggles to get her husband to the elevator, using the wall to keep him upright. Shepard grimaces when she feels his clammy hide once more.

Arriving on deck three, they hurry him through the hall and away from prying eyes. He is too sedated to even notice the stares of the few crewmen still on this level, and for that she is thankful. They enter the med-bay, Dr. Chakwas greeting them with a frazzled, “Get him here,” as she indicates to the last bed. Garrus is no longer using his feet and her and Mordin have to literally drag the three hundred pounds, hulked out Turian to the table. Karin pushes the button for the shutters and locks to door, assuring their privacy.

They finally heave him up to lay on his back, getting him situated on the bed, his feet nearly dangling off the edge of the bed because of his extra height. Shepard rubs her hands down his crest, his mandibles fluttering at the contact, though it is subtle and weak. His eyes roll over to lock onto hers, the pupils still dilated, and he lets out a pitiful chirp. She tries to give him a reassuring smile, but it falls quickly when he turns his head away with a deep groan, clearly in pain.

She turns to Mordin, her voice restrained with barely concealed panic, “What’s the prognosis?”

Mordin lifts his omni-tool to examine him further. “Hmm. Intense fever, enlarged adrenal glands, acute heighten aggression, muscle and bone density greatly altered and fused.”

Shepard bites the inside of her cheek to keep from snapping at his ramblings, “Just tell me what’s wrong with him.”

“Working through the data, must have time to examine all possibilities. Doctor Sid very resourceful. And cruel.”

She grabs onto Garrus’s hand, his three-fingered hand intertwining with her own, “You sound like you’ve heard of this guy.”

“Yes.” Mordin walks around to the terminal raised on the side of the bed, entering in some readings, “Target of STG. Never followed up on the investigation. Thought he was dead.”

“He’s dead now.” _Very dead._ The image of his severed head rolling under a table will forever be burned into her memory.

“Fortunate. Heard his work was malicious. Unethical. Does not deserve title of doctor.”

Her voice turns solemn, “I agree. What I saw down there…what he did those turians…”

“You recovered relevant data and research. Can use information to study and work around it. Find a solution.”

Dr. Chakwas is busy attaching wires and sensors to Garrus’s body, connecting them to the terminal, his heartbeat now audible. She returns to her desk for a datapad, brows furrowed in concentration.

Shepard looks up at the salarian, “I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now…”

He cuts her off with a wave of his hand, “Please. Can multi-task quite well.” He turns to look at Garrus then back to her, “This more important.”

She raises an eyebrow, “It is?”

“Of course.” He says, like it should be obvious to her, “Your mate. Stress levels will undoubtably become intolerable if he is dead.” She internally winces at his casual use of the word _dead_ , “Need you in top condition. If mate dies…part of you will die as well.”

Shepard tilts her head at that explanation, confused, “That sounds like more of a spiritual view than a medical one.”

Moridn’s eyes soften, “Have learned a lot from genophage work. Learned a lot from you.”

She smiles at him, opening her mouth about to respond until she feels the hand she is holding squeeze tighter than a vice, talons digging into her palms. A series of urgent, insistent beeps blare from Mordin’s omni-tool as lights begin to flicker on the terminal screen. 

Her head whips around to see Garrus is having trouble breathing. He’s trying to suck in air, but it sounds like something is blocking his throat. His limbs are seizing, and his eyes are rolled back into his head, shaking violently. His teeth are gritted together so tight she fears he may shatter them, and his mandibles have flared out to a painful extent. 

“Garrus!” She screams, grabbing him by the arm with her other hand and trying to hold him to the bed. He doesn’t respond to her, his massive arms trembling uncontrollably.

Dr. Chakwas races up, datapad thrown on another bed, “He’s going into cardiac arrest!”

 _What? He…no. No, no this can’t be happening._ She saved him! He is here with her, they got out of that prison! They should be okay now!

She holds onto his hand, shouting his name over and over as Mordin and Dr. Chakwas yell out medical jargon at each other. She can’t understand what they are saying, her only focus on her mate currently _dying_ in her arms. She is driven by hysterical panic that consumes her, pleading with him to just open his eyes and look at her.

_Please. I need to see those blue eyes again._

The rapid beeping turns into a single, consistent ring.

Time slows to a crawl as all goes quiet around her, like she is in one of her dreams. Shepard lifts her eyes to the terminal, seeing the solid, orange line of Garrus’s heartbeat, now stagnant.

_He. Will. Die._

_No…_

“He’s flatlining.”

“Get the defib!”

She is frozen, unable to move or breath. Karin yanks her away from her mate, though she is unwilling to let go of his hand, “Shepard, let us work!” She yells, prying the commander away from him.

Shepard backs up sluggishly, her hands coming up to cover her mouth as her eyes burn, her stomach tightening in excruciating knots. She feels sick, and powerless, watching helplessly as the two doctors scramble around and attempt to save her husband’s life.

The ringing becomes louder, piercing into her brain and echoing in her soul. She shakes her head back and forth, complete devastation etched into her features.

_If they can’t save him…_

The solid ringing stops and for a moment, Shepard believes he is gone. She is about to collapse to hear knees, her legs no longer able to hold her up when she hears it-

_Beep, beep, beep,_

Shepard lets out the breath she was holding, almost passing out, her blood rushing in her ears.

Mordin sighs in relief, working quickly on his omni-tool, “Patient stable. For now.” 

Tears are running down her cheeks, seeing the breaks in the orange line of Garrus’s monitor lift for every beat his heart makes. If they had been just a few minutes late escaping from that lab, he would have died in the shuttle and she would have been unable to stop it.

She does not even notice Dr. Chakwas walking up to her and grabbing her by the shoulders, gently, “Shepard.” Her watery eyes fall to the doctor, “We will take care of him. There is nothing you can do for him right now.”

She shakes her head, “But I -” She cannot leave him here by himself.

The older woman’s face turns stern, like a mother talking to a child, “Go. We will let you know if his condition changes.”

Shepard is about ready to argue, demand that she stays so that she can be here for him, but she knows that there is nothing she can do. She would just get in the way. “Okay.” She sniffs, “But tell me if anything, and I mean anything, happens.”

Karin smiles sadly, “I will.”

Shepard nods her head, taking one last look at her husband. She does not want to leave him. All of her instincts are screaming at her to stay by his side. What if something happens while she is gone? What if he needs her?

No, she is being ridiculous. He is in the most capable hands in the galaxy. If anyone can help him, it is these two people right here. Besides, Mordin will need time to examine Sid’s research to find a cure or an antidote or something that can make Garrus better. If there is anything keeping her together right now, it is that hope. Hope in Mordin, hope in Dr. Chakwas and hope that this world cannot be so cruel as to take away the one thing she is fighting for.

_I have to trust them._

Throwing on her commander persona, she turns around and exits the med-bay, taking the elevator straight up to the CIC. Primarch Victus will need to know about the atrocities that she discovered in that lab. And, he’ll need to know about Garrus’s condition. She just hopes that she can keep her composure through the conversation.

Arriving at the comm room, she asks EDI to transfer her to the Primarch, “Tell him it’s urgent.”

“At once.”

She waits for a few minutes, thankful that she has a bit of time to think of something to say, before the static silhouette of the turian Primarch appears. “Commander Shepard.” He puts his hands behind his back in a parade rest.

“Primach Victus,” She greets respectfully, “I have a situation you need to know about.”

She can see his brow plates come together in a frown, “I am listening.”

She takes a deep breath, “I’ve just returned from a mission on the planet Sanctum. There is a Cerberus facility there, full of biomedical research and Reaper tech.” She nearly forgot that the entire reason why they were down there was to acquire that Reaper tech. With what they have been through, it was not worth it. “I discovered something terrible.”

She pauses, trying to find the right words, but there are no right words for what she is about to tell him, “I found the bodies of fifty-three turian colonists. All of them experimented on, tortured, and murdered.”

He is silent for a few moments, “I see. I had received disturbing reports of some of our people going missing on Aephis and the surrounding colonies. The reports mentioned Cerberus operatives being seen in the area.”

“I think I found your missing colonists.”

Adrien sighs, eyes downcast, “This is grave news indeed, Commander, but I appreciate the information.” He straightens, “I will send a recovery team to extract the bodies immediately and have them returned to their families.”

Shepard nods her head, briefly wondering if the deceased turians will be recognizable. Their bodies were so twisted and mangled that it worries her if the families will even want to see their loved ones in that state. A sudden flash of anger enters her mind at the situation. _Fuck this war, and fuck Cerberus._

“Very good sir. I’ll send you the report when I’ve finished it.” Before he can say anything else, she interjects, “There is one other thing.”

“Yes?”

She closes her eyes, the knot in her stomach still festering and making it harder for her to keep up the commander facade, “It’s Garrus.” Her eyes open, “He was with me on the mission. We were kidnapped. They shot him up with some kind of chemical, it turned him into,” She can’t finish the sentence, pivoting to his condition now, “He’s in the med-bay. Mordin is doing all he can.”

“I am sorry to hear that, Commander.” She can hear in his sub-vocals that he is being sincere, “Your mate is a good soldier, and a friend.”

“We were trying to -” Hold up. Mate? How does he know that? They never told anyone besides the crew that Garrus and her were married, “Wait. You knew?”

“Of course. I could smell him on you.” His mandibles lift in a small smile, “I forget that human noses are not as…sensitive as ours.”

She looks down, her voice soft, “Yeah.”

The Primarch’s demeanor turns serious, “Keep me updated on Vakarian's condition.”

“Yes sir. I will sir.”

“Farewell Commander.”

The comm disconnects, leaving Shepard alone. She grips the railings tightly, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears to keep wanting to spill. Shepard must keep her composure.

Now that the Primarch knows, she needs to finish her report for Hackett, which is the last thing she wants to do right now. All she wants to do is go back down to the med-bay and stay by Garrus’s side until he gets better. Because he will get better. She will not let herself even think about any other possibilities.

Shepard quickly takes the elevator up to her room, bypassing Traynor’s inquiry of the mission. She gives her a tight smile, telling the comm specialist that she will speak with her later. Samantha does not push any further, no doubt noticing that her commander is barely keeping it together.

Upon entering her cabin, Shepard strips off her armor and undersuit, stowing it away to be cleaned later. She catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, noticing the three gouges from Garrus’s claws on her arm. The scratches have mostly healed, thanks to her upgrades, but she can still see the raised skin of the wounds. Lifting her hand, she traces the marks with her fingers, following them as they spiral across her bicep as her memories come flooding back.

He could have killed her, easily. Even she could not outmatch his strength, and she could punch a Krogan in the crest with no injuries to her knuckles. She has never seen him so angry, so ferocious. Just incredibly violent and hell-bent on ending her life. She will never be able to forget the fury in his eyes when he attacked her, pure rage and animosity. 

He hated her. For those few minutes that he was consumed by that drug, he looked at her and hated her. Garrus, the man she has loved for years and has always been there for her wanted her dead. What would have happened if he had succeeded? Would he be capable of mourning her loss, or would he have continued to be the mindless, seething animal until Sid eventually murdered him?

She starts the shower, turning it on the hottest setting. The water burns her skin, causing it to flare an angry red, but she does not care, the weight of everything crashing down around her. Seeing Garrus in so much pain, being tortured and forced to try and kill her. Her heart lurches into her throat when she remembers the howls, the agonizing screams of when he was transformed. It will haunt her for the rest of her life.

A horrible, sickening thought enters her mind.

If they cannot fix him…she may have to decide to put him out of his misery.

Shepard falls to her knees and sobs into her hands…

**A few hours later…**

Shepard wakes with a jolt when her omni-tool pings with a call from Dr. Chakwas. She must have fallen asleep at her desk while she was writing her report. Her heart hammers in her chest and she answers the call immediately, her tone frantic, “Dr. Chakwas. What’s going on? Is he okay?”

“Calm down Shepard.” The older woman says softly, “We need you to come to the med-bay.”

“What’s happening?”

“Just get down here.”

“I’m on my way.” Shepard grabs her jacket and hurries to the elevator, cursing its slowness as it takes her down to level three. She races to the med-bay once the doors have opened, her adrenaline pumping through her veins. Dr. Chakwas didn’t sound worried, but Shepard fears the worst has happened. Why wouldn’t Karin just tell her what was going on?

Mordin is at his terminal and greets her with his usual quick smile. He does not appear concerned either. She looks over to see the human doctor walk up to her, a smile also on her face, “You want to see him?” She asks. 

Shepard nods her head a few times, concerned that if she speaks then her voice will crack from the tension. Dr. Chakwas leads her to the last table, letting Shepard examine her husband. Her brows furrow in confusion. Nothing has changed, he still looks exactly the same, just with a sheet covering him up to his waist. His heartbeat on the monitor is still going strong and she can see he is breathing relatively normally. _At least he is alive._

She turns to Karin, a question clearly on her face. The older woman just smiles, and indicates with a wave of her hand, “Go on.”

Shepard swallows nervously and steps up to the bed with her turian mate. She leans down, laying her hand on his bicep and whispers timidly at his motionless form, “Garrus?” His eyes squint at the sound of her voice, his sub-vocals rumbling that deep baritone. Shepard’s heart sinks at the implication that he may still be feral.

Until he starts coughing, and she can clearly hear his main voice coming through. He opens his eyes and the most intense flood of relief rushes through her body when she sees the bright, crystal blue eyes of her husband staring up at her.

Shepard nearly faints, her chest constricting and unable to speak. She is desperate to jump into his arms, but she restrains herself to merely just grabbing his hand with both of hers, grinning like an idiot, “Hey.” _Really? That’s all you have to say is hey?_

“H-hey.” He answers. His voice is rough and scratchy, but it’s him. It’s his beautiful, sexy voice that Shepard fell in love with all those years ago. _Oh, how I’ve missed that voice._

“How ya feelin’?” She asks, now sitting on the edge of the bed, incapable of tearing her eyes away from his. _Gods, he’s beautiful._

He groans, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a huff, “Like I got ran over by a stampede of elcor.”

Shepard winces, “I bet.” She runs a hand down his arm, trying to comfort him as best she can, “Do you remember anything?”

“Kind of? It was more like a…bad dream.” She wishes that it were just a dream. That it was just a nightmare that they could both forget about and never have to face again. “It was like I was seeing through my eyes, but they were hazy and disorienting. I couldn’t control my body.”

“Yeah.” She agrees, her thumb stroking the hide on his hand, “You were pretty messed up.”

Mordin walks up to them with a datapad and Shepard turns her head to the salarian, bewildered at the coherent state of her mate, “How is this possible?

“Was able to reduce fever. Feral symptoms caused by intense hallucinations. Given turian equivalent to benzodiazepines and anti-arrhythmic medications to calm brain waves and control heartrate.”

“So what you’re telling me is he’s on a lot of drugs.” She deadpans.

“Yes. Minimizing the effects of the serum still in his system. Gives more time to find a cure. Confident that one can be synthesized.”

Her eyes light up, hope blossoming in her chest, “You mean you can cure him?”

“Possibly. Though physical altercations will be…uncomfortable to reverse. Will take time and many doses.”

Garrus grumbles, shifting around on the bed, “Do I have to?”

Shepard whips her head around to scold him, “We are not keeping you this way.”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs half-heartedly, “I may like being the only, what do you call it, hulked out turian in the galaxy.”

She scoffs at him, rolling her eyes, though it is with a big smile on her face. Of course, he would want to keep the “upgrades” to his physical attributes. She is thankful that he does not seem to remember the pain of having to go through the changes in the first place.

Mordin slinks away to let the couple reunite uninterrupted. Tears of relief overflow as she leans down, resting her forehead against his. She closes her eyes, nuzzling him and whispers, “I thought I lost you.”

He returns her affections, a taloned hand coming up to brush her hair behind her ear, “You won’t get rid of me that easily.” He says quietly, “Who will watch your back as good as I do?”

She leans back and raises an eyebrow, “You wouldn’t let anyone else watch my back.”

He growls, his talons grabbing her by the waist gently, sending shivers up her spine, “Damn right I wouldn’t.”

Shepard laughs with a watery smile, climbing onto the side of the bed and snuggling into his arms. She can tell he is still very weak and trying to adjust to his newfound strength, but she loves the way he squeezes her to him. His purring rumble vibrates across her body, loosening her muscles and calming her racing heart.

She would be completely lost without him, and that has never been clearer to her now. Garrus has been with her since the beginning and she will make damn sure he is with her to the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! This was a long time coming. My apologies that it took so long. I would love to hear your thoughts on the story! Thank you for reading and sticking with me! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Cliffhanger! It's about to get crazy!


End file.
